Moments of Childhood
by Mystic Red Rose
Summary: “It was your average snowy evening and …”
1. Prologue

Summary: Joint fic. "It was your average snowy evening and …"

A/N: Hi all! This is a fic jointly written by myself and the amazing **MysticSorceror**! The way it's been going is I write a paragraph then she does, and then I do, etc. You get the point? This is just the prologue, but I hope you all enjoy it. Let us know what you think. I'll make sure all reviews are read by her too. So if you want to say something to her just say it. K? Thanks a bunch and here's the beginning…

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**Moments of Childhood**

_By: MysticSorceror and Different Child_

Prologue

It was your average snowy evening and Hatori was sitting at his desk like any other day. The wind was howling, the snow was blowing, and the fire was crackling. Most people would take advantage of the weather by taking a break from work, but not Hatori. He was writing away, updating his files just like always.

Quietly someone approached the door and Hatori looked up, hearing the footsteps he marked the sound to the door and turned. There was someone coming, sighing again he expected Akito to be there, wanting some dosage of some medicine. "Akito," Hatori began in a stern voice before finding someone at the door who was definitely not Akito, "Hello?" he asked looking at the person standing there.

"H-hello," a little girl squeaked. "I got lost. Can you help me?" She then collapsed.Hatori immediately picked her up and took her to the couch. It wasn't hard to figure out what was wrong with her. She was cold and tired. Maybe a little rest would help. But, who was this girl? And why was she at his house of all the places she could have ended up?

Feeling his heart beat he looked at her and put a hand on her cheek, no! Why was he feeling a little attracted to her? He looked at her, she was feverish, sweat running down her head and she was shivering. She needed help, immediate action. Looking around he searched for the best options but then found the girl to be clutching to his hand, "Papa?" she asked in her sleep.

"Papa don't go. Please. Mama's already gone. Not you too. Please..." Her already weak and soft voice became inaudible as she fell into a deeper slumber. _Papa don't go? What happened to this child's father? What happened to her mother? Most importantly why did she think I was her father?_

_Why is she even here? Inside of the Sohma gates? Is she a Sohma herself? What is this secret inside of her and why does she want me to help her? What is it within her that makes her so strong as to not worry? Why did she collapse?_ Pausing Hatori looked away and then stroked the girls' hair back as she sighed, "Papa...I love you."

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**Hey again. **This is just the beginning, but what did you think? Love it? Hate it? Don't know what to make of it? Please review and let us know. Thank you. 


	2. Chapter 1

:She began tossing and turning: "Papa don't go. I love you. Why didn't you stay? Don't go again...I'm sorry. Is it me?"

"It's not you," Hatori spoke attempting to help her but he didn't understand how, "I don't know what happened but I can't believe that..." he looked down. _I'm acting as if I'm this child's parent._

_She's no part of my life. She's just a young girl, she shouldn't have significance to me...it's just I can remember pieces of her. No I'm a doctor, only novelists and fashion designers, foolish people like that should think that._

:She woke up and started coughing:

Hatori walked over to the kitchen area before returning with a glass of water and handed it to her, "Here..." he tried a little gentler than usual, "Drink this."

:She took it and drank it:The young girl began looking around her trying to focus: _I don't understand. Where am I? How did I get here? _

Hatori checked her forehead, "You're hot, do you need any medication?" He paused before finding the door opening behind him and then looked around.

"Hari..." a voice called and Hatori bowed his head, "Hey...who's this?"

"I don't know," she spoke in a raspy voice. _Who is this man? He seems to be ok. He's taking care of me. He reminds me of Papa. I shouldn't cry. Please don't cry._

Hatori paused as he heard the voice, things seemed to come from her to be chilling, it was scary how could she speak in a manner that could haunt him, "How did you find your way here?"

"I'm Momiji Sohma..." Momiji spoke energetically as he introduced himself, "And this," he gestured towards the dragon who was attempting to help the girl once again, "Is...Doctor Ha'ri Sohma."

"Doctor Hatori Sohma..." Hatori spoke again before finding the girl caught off by the name, "Do you..." he tried looking at her uncomfortably, "Do you know me?" _Why am I even asking this? She's a child and I'm not a babysitter._

"I am not sure. I don't member much."

"See Ha'ri stop picking on her! Do you want to see my room...how about if we make up a name for you for now? Tell me, what's your favorite fruit?"

**_  
_**"Nice to meet you. I know my name."

"You should have asked her that Momiji," Hatori sighed and then looked at the girl, "If you know your name it might help us to track down your past..."  
"And your family, now, if you'd tell me it..."

"Spoil sport" Momiji whined as he looked at Hatori turning to the girl, "You should have given her a fun name...it's not like you're her father you know,"

"My name is Kaida Akairo."

"Akairo..." he tried and then smiled peacefully, "It's strange that someone with no connection to the Sohma family would be here..."Kaida, do you remember your mother's name?"

"Or your father's?"

"Ha'ri..." Momiji sighed a little bored, "You know that if you act like this you're just going to scare her away and we won't be able to keep her."_  
_

:Looks down: I don't know papa's name. I never really knew him. Mama didn't really talk about him."

"And Mama...

"Oh did Papa get his memory erased?" Momiji asked attempting to figure out just what Kaida meant by this and Hatori paused looking at him.

"She's...gone now."

"You mean that she died," Hatori asked and then looked down, "Sorry for my directness but it's necessary to know, was there a name on the tombstone to your recollection?"

:Blinks:  
"Papa didn't have his memory erased. He just didn't know. I think…I dunno. Mama didn't say much."

"Ha'ri how can you ask that so directly?"

"Kaida...do you know anyone who transfers into an animal?" he winked before Hatori took a deep glare at him, "I mean the memories must be coming back..."

"Animals...  
"I didn't have any family. Well, Mama didn't talk to them. I don't know about them."  
"And course I don't know bout papa's.

"Well sleep here tonight...I'll have words with Akito tomorrow and we'll figure out what to do. Do you have any knowledge of your father at all? Perhaps a photograph?"

"Well there was this one..."

"Oh that would be really fun if you're father was alive right Kaida-chan," Momiji encouraged seeing Hatori trying his best to help this young girl who might as well be an orphan.

"O k."

"Could I see it?"

"It's a dwawing,"

"I don't think it's technically possible to tell who your..." Hatori started but was cut off by Momiji

"That's excellent; drawings are always so much fun to look at."

"I dwew it. Not mommy. So it's not good."

"That's alright" Momiji spoke attempting to encourage Kaida to show him the picture she had drawn.

:She took it out of her shirt and handed it to Momiji:

"Please be careful."

"Wow this is wonderful. Your dad's hair is blue this makes it so much easier to find him."

"I just used make up colors."

"Look Ha'ri," Momiji commented looking at him and then paused as he held the picture next to him. "This...picture it looks just like..."

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**A/N**: Well there you have it. Chapter 1. The next update shouldn't take as long because we've already started on the next chapter, but you never know. Thanks for reading and please review! 


	3. Chapter 2

**Brief Note:** Sorry for the wait, but I had to wait for Myst and we had to be stable enough. :Bows in apology:

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Hatori looked at Momiji as he held the picture in his hands and then looked at Kaida confused, "This doesn't look too much like a person you know? It doesn't pass for a photograph."

"I'm sorry. I tried. It was from a dream."

"You shouldn't pick on her so much Hari-san."**  
**

"So you're telling us that this might not actually be what they look like.  
Is there anyone you've seen who looks like what you saw in the dream?"

"I don't know...I feel a little dizzy..."

"Might it make you feel easier to lie down, you can sleep right here if you like. I need to get on with some work but if you need me."

"Aww, Ha'ri why don't you play with her? You're so dull, having to work all the time."

:Kaida laid down: "O k, Am I trouble?"

"Nope, Ha'ri just gets a little grumpy when he doesn't have his naps...right Ha'ri...you really should apologize to her."

"Alright, I'm sorry if I was being too direct with you, but why did you decide to come here? To where I live and work? Why not the main house front doors?"

"So Kaida? Is there an answer to why you came here?"

"I don't really know."

"Oh? What happened? Was there a monster" Momiji asked excitedly.

"I hardly see that being the case, but...to be scared and still to come through the gates"

"No monster." She was surprised by this. Why would he think there was a monster?

"Really? Aww, I wanted there to be a monster, it would have been fun to scare it."

:Sweatdrop:

"O what kind of monsters do you see Kaida-chan?"

:She blinked_I don't get it._"No monsters" she said again. _Did he not hear me the first time?_

"Momiji, you sound sleep deprived. Just go to bed"

"But Ha'ri...Kaida's new here! She might need a friend!"**_  
_**

"I'm certain that she has friends of her own at home, which is where I will locate in the morning to take her as for now, it's time to get some sleep."

"So how 'bout it Kaida? How many friends do you have?"

**_  
_**:She fell asleep where she was, still on the couch:

"Aww, Ha'ri why's she asleep?"

:Hatori felt her pulse: "She appears to be fine, she appears to be breathing it's just that ----The door opened from behind them----"

"Hatori! How are you? I haven't seen you in absolutely ages! O my. Much has happened in this long gap of time. For instance -" Ayame paused. Silence.

"Why so quiet" He questioned just as loud as before.

"Did I interrupt something?" Ayame cocked his head to the side. He wasn't even getting a response.

"You had to come in the middle of the night didn't you?"**_  
_**

"Hi Aya!"**_  
_**

"You really had to come in the middle of the night?"

**_  
_**"Of course. It wouldn't be original of me to come during the day would it" Aya stated more than questioned.

"It would have been nicer, more tolerable." :Hatori looked away:**_  
_**

"Aww. Ha'ri what's wrong?

All the noise woke up Kaida.

"This child, she landed on my doorstep, tell me what would you have done with her?"**  
**

"What's wrong?" It took her a minute but then she realized what Hatori had just said and she stared.

"Hey! Aya came! He's really really funny!"**  
**

"I did something wrong."

_I need to move into a different room. I'm not in a mood where I can tolerate Ayame right now._

**_  
_**:She got up and began walking out the door:

No! Come back!  
:Momiji whimpered: "Why do you hate me?"**_  
_**

"Whoa. I-I don't feel very good" She spoke her speech beginning to slur.

She paused feeling dizzy again, but then shook her head. _No. I'm trouble. I need to go- _Kaida collapsed before she could finish her thought.

"Ha'ri I think! I think something! sees Kaida keel over Kaida-chan!"

"Kaida!"

Hatori blinked as he felt unexpected pain._  
_

"What just happened here and who is this precious thing. You said something about her showing up?

Ha'ri?

Are you alright?" His voice became a little less cheerful and a little more concerned.

"I don't..."

"I'm leaving." Hatori walked off without saying a single thing to Aya.

"Ha'ri! We have to help her/"

"Ha'ri we're a snake and a bunny...we need to, we need to help her get better. Aya-san do you think we could roll her?"

"Huh?

What do you want me to do?

"Help her..."

"Ha'ri?" :Momiji looked after the doctor...as he walked off:

"Do you know what's wrong with Ha'ri-san" he asked Aya.

"Ha'ri is the doctor. I don't know anything about medicine."

:Sigh: "No. But I can find out. Though should be really leave this child on the floor?"

Looking back from the doorway Hatori actually screamed. "Then attempt to pick her up! I can't, the girl she gives me vibes as if sometime, from some place I know her, I knew her and I have known her, that is what I feel."

"Ha'ri?" Ayame didn't know what to say. He had never seen Hatori quite like this. It was confusing and frightening. What should be done? Hatori was normally the calm, rational one. If this chills spooked him, then something was definitely different about her.

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**A/N: **Sorry for the wait. We hope you continue to read our fic and enjoy it! No promises about the next chapter yet. Heheehe. Please review! 


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